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Leisure & Hospitality

Leisure and hospitality news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

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Leisure & Hospitality news

Oman offers attractions such as the Muscat Royal Opera House but sports tourism could bring it new opportunities Video length: 05:11

Oman must be ‘faster’ to grasp tourism opportunities

Oman needs to be “faster” to react to regional tourism opportunities and market itself more effectively to attract more visitors to the country, according to the sultanate’s industry leaders.  Tourism grew by 12 percent in the first quarter of the year, figures released by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism show. Total revenues of 3-to-5 […]

UAE tourism

UAE in top 10 global tourism earners

UAE tourism revenues reached nearly $52 billion in 2023, catapulting the Gulf state up seven places to sixth position on the list of top 10 global tourism earners, a new UN report reveals. The United States is the top earner in the latest UN world tourism barometer, with $176 billion last year, followed by Spain […]

Indian Hajj pilgrims say goodbye to relatives in Kashmir before leaving for Saudi Arabia

India’s Akasa Air to start Jeddah and Riyadh flights

Saudi Arabia has licensed Indian low-cost airline Akasa Air to begin flights this week as the Hajj pilgrimage begins, giving a further boost to the kingdom’s tourism plans.  The flights into Jeddah include two from Ahmedabad and 12 from Mumbai per week starting from 8 June, and seven into Riyadh from Mumbai per week starting […]

A pilot scheme at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport involved a partnership with an airline technology company, iFLEAT, and a local food delivery provider, Thuisbezorgd, part of Just Eat Takeaway airline food delivery

Airline passengers to get takeaways delivered onboard

Airline passengers will soon be able to pre-order meals for their journey from a delivery app, a leading industry executive has predicted. The Dubai-based global air and travel services provider Dnata launched a trial of a pre-flight order and delivery scheme in the Netherlands four years ago. Robin Padgett, divisional senior vice-president of the company’s […]

A condo terrace in Five's Dubai hospitality and residential project, Jumeirah Village

Dubai hotel developer pins success on green credentials

As protests against mass tourism sweep across Europe, the head of a Dubai-based developer with business in Ibiza said he is confident his company’s sustainability credentials can address such concerns. Kabir Mulchandani, founder and chairman of Five Holdings, believes that mounting apprehension around increasing visitor flows to the world’s most sought-after destinations is rooted in […]

The first phase of the $35 billion terminal at Dubai's Al Maktoum International is slated to be completed within a decade

Groundwork to begin soon on Dubai’s $35bn airport

Work will begin shortly on the world’s largest passenger terminal in Dubai. Major groundwork at Al Maktoum International will start this month, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said. The first phase of the AED128 billion ($34.85 billion) project, slated to be completed within a decade, will be able to accommodate 150 million passengers annually, the […]

An airplane on final approach to Beirut International Airport: Lebanon has cut the amount owed to airlines by 9%

Lebanon among biggest debtors to global airlines

The money owed to international airlines in Lebanon has fallen by almost 9 percent year on year, but still totals $129 million, the International Air Transport Association reported on Sunday. Lebanon takes the fifth spot in a 2024 list of countries where funds are overdue for repatriation, IATA said. It was the No 1 country […]

Emaar's Dubai Mall expansion will include 240 new luxury stores and food and beverage outlets

Emaar starts work on $408m Dubai Mall expansion

Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest developer, has commenced work on expanding Dubai Mall at a cost of AED1.5 billion ($408 million). The expansion will include 240 new luxury stores and food and beverage outlets. The contractor is already mobilising on-site, the Dubai-listed developer said in a statement. However, no details were given on when work would […]

Egypt tourist Grand Egyptian Museum Giza

War and tensions mean Egypt dials down tourist forecast

Egypt has revised its tourist targets downwards because of the continuing conflicts in the region. However the country is still hoping to receive a record number of visitors in 2024. Egypt’s tourism minister Ahmed Issa told Sky News Arabia this week that his ministry had lowered its expectations down from 18 million to between 15.5 […]

Visitors enjoy a Jeddah beach; Cruise Saudi already manages international cruise ship stops in Jeddah, Yanbu and Dammam

Saudi Arabia grants first maritime tourism licence

Saudi Arabia has granted its first maritime tourism licence to a Public Investment Fund company ahead of the launch of its own cruise ships off the Red Sea coast this year.  The government’s Saudi Red Sea Authority granted the licence on May 28 to Jeddah-based Cruise Saudi, which this month opened bookings for its ship […]

Oman seeks investors for new low-cost airline

Oman plans to launch a new low-cost airline amid a global tourism rebound and the continued expansion of the Gulf state’s aviation sector. In a post on the social messaging platform X (formerly Twitter), the country’s civil aviation authority (CAA) announced an investment opportunity for a new low-cost airline operator in the sultanate. No further […]

Tourism to contribute $64bn to UAE’s economy in 2024

The tourism sector’s contribution to the UAE’s economy is expected to reach AED236 billion ($64 billion) in 2024, accounting for 12 percent of the overall GDP, a senior government official has said.  The sector contributed AED220 billion to the GDP last year, accounting for almost 12 percent of the overall economy, Khaled Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah […]

Indoors, Restaurant, Cafeteria

Hong Kong’s airport lounge operator targets Saudi expansion

Hong Kong’s airport lounge operator, Plaza Premium Group (PPG), has earmarked $100 million to expand across the Middle East, focusing on Saudi Arabia. The regional expansion is part of its three-year $300 million global expansion plan. The funds will be allocated to opening lounges, establishing an airport concierge service with white-glove service, opening innovative dining outlets and exploring […]

Chinese smartphone

Middle East phone users turn to Chinese budget brands

Middle East consumers are embracing budget-friendly Chinese smartphone brands, as global favourites such as iPhone and Samsung suffer a slump in sales. The Middle East’s smartphone market is flourishing, with shipments excluding Turkey reaching more than 12 million units in the first quarter of 2024, a year on year increase of 39 percent, a report […]

Cigarette sellers in Aswan, Egypt. US company Philip Morris says it wants to give smokers in Egypt 'better options than cigarettes'

US cigarette giant buys slice of Egyptian rival

The American tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI) has acquired a minority stake in Egypt’s largest cigarette manufacturer. PMI, which owns brands such as Marlboro, L&M, Merit and Parliament and is the world’s top tobacco company by market value, has bought 14.7 percent of Egypt’s Eastern Company, which also includes cigars and pipe tobacco in […]

Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, front right, and Kevin Foster, head of communications at PIF, front left, at the signing of the sponsorship agreement between the two

PIF to sponsor women’s world tennis rankings

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is giving its name to the women’s world tennis rankings, the latest sponsorship deal in the kingdom’s drive to dominate global sports.  “The PIF WTA Rankings will track players’ journeys, and PIF will work with the WTA to celebrate and support players’ progress,” PIF said, calling the deal “multi-year”.  […]